Ice tray flexing device in a refrigerator door



March 19, 1957 E. F. SCHWELLER ET AL 2,785,538

ICE TRAY FLEXING DEVICE IN A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Jan. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l I /Z? Q a: Wig M 4 L ---49 fi --25 INVENTORS fDMl/ND ITScHWELL ER BY 150 /12 6. Foam/v5.

ATTORNEY March 19, 1957 E. F. SCHWELLER ET AL 2,785,538

ICE TRAY FLEXING DEVICE IN A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Jan. 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR5 [DMUND FScHWELLE/Q ATTORNEY.

March 19, 1957 E. F. SCHWELLER ETAL ICE TRAY FLEXING DEVICE IN A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Jan. 17, 1956 5 Shets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR-S fDMu/vD F 5CHWL LEE BY fps/1A2 C. Poss/N5.

AT Toe/W51 United States Patent-O ICE TRAY FLEXING DEVICE IN A REFRIGERATOR DGOR Edmund F. Schweiler and Edgar C.Robl;ins, Dayton,

Ohio, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detrait, Micln, a corporation of Delaware Application January 17, 1956, Serial No. 559,694

4 Claims. (Cl. 62-406) This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to an arrangement for ejecting ice blocks from freezing devices. a

An arrangement for releasing ice blocks from their compartments in a freezing device of the type including a tray and grid walls locked in the tray has recently been placed on the market. In this arrangement the freezing device is removed from a sharp freezing or frozen food storage chamber, after water contained in the device has been frozen into ice blocks, and the tray of the device is distorted and/or twisted by the act of moving the device into supported association with and along an ejector-like support to break the bond between walls of the device and ice blocks therein to release ice blocks therefrom. The released ice blocks are caught in a storage receptacle or removable container located in the food chamber and are harvested therefrom as needed. The public has accepted such an arrangement with great favor. We propose to improve an arrangement of this character whereby to facilitate its use and to increase the utility thereof in association with a household refrigerator cabinet. The advent and general acceptance of food supporting shelves on the inner face of doors of household refrigerator cabinets has prompted manufacturers to place on the inner face of such doors egg racks, butter storage compartments and vegetable storing hydrator receptacles. Convenience of such items on the door of a refrigerator cabinet is well recognized and due to this we contemplate locating an ice ejector means and ice block receiving receptacle associated therewith on the inner face of a door of a household refrigerator cabinet where ice blocks may be released from freezing devices and the released blocks stored in a readily accessible location to facilitate harvesting of the ice blocks from a refrigerator. In this respect our invention relates to a novel and improved version of the arrangement disclosed in the copending application S. N. 494,085 of Richard S. Gaugler and Robert Galin, filed March 14, 1955, now Patent No. 2,772,542, granted December 4, 1956, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. i

'An object of our invention is to provide an improved arrangement for freezing water into ice blocks in a freezing compartment of a household refrigerator cabinet and a novel method of and location for a means for releasing the ice blocks from a freezing device and storing the released blocks to facilitate harvesting thereof for table or other use.

Another object of our invention is to provide supporting means on the inner face of a refrigerator cabinet door for receiving a freezing device in which ice blocks have been frozen, means on the door for releasing ice blocks from the device while it is positioned on the door and means on the door for collecting and storing the released ice. blocks whereby the act of harvesting ice blocks from the. refrigerator is greatly facilitated.

Another object of our invention is to hold three corners of a flexible metal tray of a freezing device stationary relative to one another while it is supported on a supto a temperature well below 32 F. for the storage of:

2,785,538 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 port on the inner face of a door of a household refrigerator and stationary with respect to the support while rotating its fourth corner relative to the support to twist the tray, for breaking a bond between ice blocks and walls of the device, to build up a torsional force therein and to utilize this torsional force to return the tray to a non-twisted state with a snap action for flipping ice blocks out of the freezing device into a storage receptacle also located on the door.

In carrying out the foregoing object it is a further object of our invention to associate a fixed stop with the freez-. ing device support on a door of a refrigerator cabinet and to cause the rotated fourth corner of the tray of the device, when flipped by the torsional force built up therein to a non-twisted state, to strike this stop with. a hammer-like blow whereby ice blocks are virtually knocked out of the device.

A still further and more specific object of our invention is to provide an ice ejector means in association with a refrigerator cabinet at a position permitting handling of an ice block freezing device out of or away from a low temperaturechamber in which the ice blocks have been frozen in a readily and easily accessible location on the main door of the cabinet so that an auxiliary inner door for the iow temperature chamber may be shut immediately after removing a freezing device therefrom and remains closed while releasing ice blocks from the device.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front view of a multiple compartmented household refrigerator cabinet with its main door open showing our invention embodied in a recess in the inner face of the door;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a freezing device positioned on a freezing device support on the inner face of the refrigerator cabinet door;

Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2 and shows the tray of the freezing device on the support twisted;

Figure 4- is a fragmentary top view of a freezing device positioned on the support therefor on the refrigerator cabinet door;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 showing ends of a freezing device removably anchored in supporting brackets on the refrigerator cabinet door; and

Figure 6 is a view from beneath a freezing device of an end part of the tray thereof showing a tie piece between studs thereon.

Referring to the drawings, we show in Figure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including an insulated household refrigerator cabinet 15 of the multiple compartment type having the present invention embodied there-in. Cabinet 1:3 is provided with a lower food storage compartment 16 cooled by a plate-like evaporator 17 of a refrigerating system associated with cabinet 15. This cabinet is also provided with an upper freezing or frozen food storage compartment or chamber 13 which is cooled frozen' foods, for freezing foods and/or for freezing Water into ice blocks for table use in chilling drinks in glasses. Chamber 1% is refrigerated by an evaporator (not shown) of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 15 which evaporator may be incorporated in walls of a metal can-like member 19 or may be in the form ofa conduit coil wrapped around the member 19 forming the liner of chamber or compartment 18. The

both compartments 16 and 18 to close the open front of cabinet and is hingedl'y mounted on the cabinet forhorizontal swinging movement relative thereto. This man-'1 cabinet door 22 includes secured together inner andoute'r panels 23 and 24 respectively having insulating material therebetween and carries a gasket '26 for sealingly engaging the front wall of cabinet 15. The inner panel 23 is-dishe'd, as at 27, to provide a recess 28 in the inner face of door 22. Such recessed doors are now conventional in the art and we propose to utilize the recess in the inner face of door 22 for a new and novel purpose to take advantage of the accessibility thereof when the door is opened. The freezing chamber 18 nasal-plurality of main shelves or the like 29 secured, in any suitable manner, to a side wall of liner 19 so as to be in direct metal-to-rnetal contact therewith. Each shelf 29 is adapted to receive a freezing device, generally indicated b'y'the reference numeral 30, of the type including a tray and grid walls therein for containing water to be frozen into separated ice blocks.

The construction of each of the freezing devices 30 is" of'the general nature of the devices disclosed in the cdpending application hereinbefore referred to and more specifically described in the copendin'g application of Riehard S. Gaugler, Serial No. 438,897, filed June 24, 1954, now i a'tent No. 2,752,762, granted July 3, 1956, entitled Freezing Device. Each device 30 includes a resilient or distortable aluminum tray 31 having a depending rim 32 therearound and a plurality of rigid tapered walls 33 forming a grid therein. Walls 33 of the grid Within tray 39 are provided with ear-like projections loosely fitted in vertically elongated depressions or slots formed in the upper part of sides of tray 30. The ear-like projections lock the walls 33 within tray 30 against removal therefrom and for movement relative thereto. Loose attaching points of walls 33 to tray 30 permit these walls to be moved in several directions with respect to the tray in response to twisting the tray as described in the two applications above referred to. The tray 3% in the present disclosure differs from the tray in the Gaugler and Galin application in that studs 34 and 36 thereon are secured to and extend rearwardly of the back end of tray 39 adjacent to the rear corners thereof. By reference to Figure 6 of the drawings it will be seen that studs 34 and 36 are rigidly secured in any suitable. or desirable manner to opposite ends of a metal tie piece 37 located under the rim 32 at the back of tray 31. stud 34. The purpose of the rearwa'r-dly extending studs 34 and 36 and their difference in extension from the back of tray 36} will become apparent hereinafter.

in the present invention we provide within the resess 28 of door 22, on cabinet 15, an ice block releasing means which elects ice blocks from a freezing device 30. We stationarily mount a substantially U-shaped bracket 4t, at an acute angle with respect to the vertical, on the inwardly dished part 27 of the inner panel 23 of door 22. We also stationarily mount another substantially U-shaped bracket 42 in the same fashion as and opposed to bracket 41 on one leg 43 of a vertical bracket 44 secured to panel 23 of door 22 in any suitable manner. Bracket 41 is wider than bracket 42 and both brackets 41 and 42 are provided with closed bottom ends. The upright extension of bracket 42 is less than that of bracket 41 fora purpose to be presently described. Brackets 41 and 42 form a stationary support on and movable with door 22 for the reception of a freezing device 36. A fixed stop 45, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, is formed on the top forward portion of the one leg 43 of bracket 44. The other leg of bracket 44 has a gear box 48 mounted on one side thereofand an electric motor 49 is mounted on its other side. The drive shaft of motor 49 extends through it is to be noted that stud 36 is longer than 1eg-47 of bracket into-gear box 48-andidrives atraim in this circuit maybem'ou'nte'd on door 22 for controllingthe circuit to motor 49 to energize and deener'gize same. A clear plastic orth'e like receptacle 56 is 'rem'o'vably's'ecured upon the inner face of door 22 in: association with the freezing device support or brackets 41 and 42. This receptacle 56 has an i'c'e' block receiving and storage portion disposed below the freezing device support and is provided with a wall 57 which extends upwardly in front of the support or brackets 41 and 42;

After water contained in a freezing device 30', located in chamber 18, has been frozen into separated ice blocks doors 2'2 and 21 respectively areopened and a device 30 is removed fl bn ldlh freezing chamber.

rotated and inserted into the freezing device support on door 22 (see Figure 2 The handle end of device 30 is lowered into the u-shaped bracket 41 and the short stud 34, on the end of the tray of the device opposite its handle -end; is' lowered into the U-shaped bracket 42. The long stud' 36 on the end of the tray of the freezing device does not enter the bracket 42 and overlies the top of the one leg 43 of bracket 44 adjacent the stop 46 thereon. In thismanner the freezing device support holds three corners of the tray of a device 39 stationary relative to one-another and to the support while the fourth corner of the tray of device Silis out of engagement with the support. In other words bracket 41 holds both corners of tray 31 at the handle end thereof and bracket 42,. by virtue of stud 34 being positioned therein, holds a third corner of the tray'stationa'ry with. respect to one another while a device 30 is supported on door 22 of the refrigerator. Stud =36 on the fourth corner of the tray of device 39- on the freezing device support is disposed in the path of rotation of cam-like lever element 52 and is ad-aptedt'o be moved thereby since it is free of or un supported by the support while the device is positioned thereon. In orderto release ice blocks from the freezing device 30 located onthc support on door 22 the button of switch 54 is depressed to close the electric cireuit to motor. 49 to energize same. The motor 49 operates to rotate shaft- 51, through the train of reduction earing in gearbox 48', "and eonsequently'cam like lever element 52 is' rotated into engagement with stud 36. Continued operation of motor 4 causes element 52 to move 'st ud 36 in a substantially horizontal direction away from step 46 toward the inner face of door 22. This movemerit of stud 36 is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings wherein the fourth corner of tiny is shown as being rotated with respect to the other three corners thereof. Since the three corners of the tray 31 of device 30 are held stationary on the freezingdevice support this movement of Stud 36 and consequently the fourth corner of tray 31 twiststhe tray to move rigidwalls therein about their loose attaching points relative thereto and-to one another for breaking bonds between ice blocks and the device. This twisting of tray 31 in: addition to momentnrily wedging ice blocks in their compartments also causes a-torsional force to be built up in the flexible metal tray. After a predetermined twist has been imparted to tray 31 element 52 rides or rotates under and past stud 36 to" release same whereupon the torsional force built up in tray 31 snaps 'tlietray into a non-twisted state with a hammer-like blow; The stud 36 strikes against'the fixed stop 46" and since the loosened ice blocks are not now wedged in their compantment'sthey are flipped or tossed The removed freezing deviee' 30 and ice blocks contained therein is out of the freezing device 30 into the receptacle 56. In other words cam-like lever element 52 passes slightly beyond the position thereof shown in Figure 3 of the drawings to quickly or suddenly release tray 31 and the tray snaps back into the position thereof illustrated in Figure 2. Ice blocks upon leaving the device 30 strike the front wall 57 of receptacle 56 and are directed thereby downwardly into the bottom storage portion of the receptacle. Provisions for harvesting ice blocks from receptacle 56 with out removing same from the refrigerator cabinet door 22 may be made or the receptacle can be detached from door 22 and carried to a point where ice blocks are to be served or used. The unitary freezing device 30 from which ice blocks have been released may be removed from its support on door 22, refilled with water and repositioned in freezing chamber 18.

it should be apparent that we have provided a refrigerating apparatus wherein ice blocks in freezing devices associated with the apparatus are removed therefrom on the door of the refrigerator cabinet and stored on this door so as to be readily accessible. The ice block releasing means is located in a recess of the refrigerator cabinet door out of the freezing chamber and this in addition to conserving the space in the freezing chamher for the storage of foods or for trays in which ice blocks are frozen also eliminates exposure of the users hands and arms to the below freezing temperature in a freezing chamber during the act of releasing ice blocks from a unitary tray and grid type freezing device. While the ice block releaser or ejector herein disclosed is shown as being operated by an electric motor it is to be understood that the twisting of the tray on the support can be accomplished by manually actuated leverage mechanism or the like if desired.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet, a chamber within said cabinet, a door on said cabinet providing access to said chamber, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said chamber to a temperature below 32 F., a freezing device normally disposed in said chamber and exposed to thelow temperature of said evaporator, a portable ice storage receptacle removably mounted on the inner face of said door, a support on the inner face of said door above said receptacle thereon, said freezing device comprising a metal tray and substantially inflexible grid walls anchored within said tray for shifting movement relative thereto and locked therein against detachment therefrom, said walls dividing the interior of said tray into a plurality of compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated individual ice blocks, said tray and said grid walls of said device together with ice blocks therein being removable from said chamber and rotatable as a unit into supported relationship with said support on the inner face of said door in a position thereon whereby ice blocks can gravitate out of said freezing device as they are ejected therefrom, means for causing said grid Walls locked in said tray to bodily shift relative thereto and to one another while the freezing device is supported in its said ice block ejecting position upon the support on the inner face of said door to mechanically break bonds between walls of said compartment and ice blocks therein and to simultaneously eject the plurality of individual separated ice blocks from said freezing device into the portable receptacle on said door, and said removable receptacle being exposed at said inner face of the door to the interior of said cabinet upon closing said door for storing ice blocks received therein at a temperature below temperatures ambient to the refrigerator cabinet.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the inner face of the door is shaped to provide a recess therein in which the freezing device support and the receptacle are disposed.

3. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet, a chamber within said cabinet, a door on said cabinet providing access to said chamber, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said chamber to a temperature below 32 F., a freezing device normally disposed in said chamber and exposed to the low temperature of said evaporator, a portable ice storage receptacle removably mounted on the inner face of said door, a support on the inner face of said door above said receptacle thereon, said freezing device comprising a metal tray and .substantially inflexible grid walls anchored within said tray for shifting movement relative thereto and locked therein against detachment therefrom, said walls dividing the interior of said tray into a plurality of compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated individual ice blocks, said tray and said grid walls of said device together with ice blocks therein being removable from said chamber and rotatable as a unit into supported relationship with said support on the inner face of said door in a position thereon whereby ice blocks can gravitate out of said freezing device as they are ejected therefrom, means on said door for twisting said tray to bodily shift said grid walls locked therein relative thereto and to one another while the freezing device is supported in its said ice block ejecting position upon the support on the inner face of said door to mechanically break bonds between walls of said compartments and ice blocks therein for ejecting the plurality of individual separated ice blocks from said freezing device into the portable receptacle on said door, and said removable receptacle being exposed at said inner face of the door to the interior of said cabinet upon closing said door for storing ice blocks received therein at a temperature below temperatures ambient to the refrigerator cabinet.

4. in combination, a refrigerator cabinet, a chamber within said cabinet, a door on said cabinet providing access to said chamber, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said chamber to a temperature below 32 F., a freezing device normally disposed in said chamber and exposed to the low temperature of said evaporator, a portable ice storage receptacle removably mounted on the inner face of said door, a support on the inner face of said door above said receptacle thereon, said freezing device comprising a metal tray and substantially inflexible grid walls anchored within said tray for shifting movement relative thereto and locked therein against detachment therefrom, said walls dividing the interior of said tray into a plurality of compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated individual ice blocks, said tray and said grid walls of said device together with ice blocks therein being removable from said chamber and rotatable as a unit into supported relationship with said support on the inner face of said door in a position thereon whereby ice blocks can gravitate out of said freezing device as they are ejected therefrom, means on said door for twisting said tray to bodily shift said grid walls locked therein relative thereto and to one another while the freezing device is supported in its said ice block ejecting position upon the support on the inner face of said door to mechanically break bonds between walls of said compartments and ice blocks therein, means for releasing said twisting means whereby the torsional energy built up in the tray by twisting same returns the tray to a nontwisted state with a snap action and flips the plurality of individual separated ice blocks from said freezing device into the portable receptacle on said. door, and said removable receptacle being exposed at said inner face of the door to the interior of said cabinet upon closing said door for storing ice blocks received therein at a tem- 

